Citrus
by LemonAndTheArt
Summary: Kara invites Rose and Adam over for dinner at her little countryside home.


The sun was high in the sky, shining through the open kitchen window. The day was warm with a cool breeze that blew the light curtains easily. She'd have to head on out there later, but for now she was content to stay inside. Kara was preparing for their special guests tonight. Rose and Adam came over as often as they could, but it was still a special occasion when they did. It gave them a reason to use their kitchen as androids don't eat. Making the occasional dinner for them was the least she could do after all they'd done to help her. She took a quick peek outside the window towards the large oak tree in the grassland of their backyard. Luther had put up a swing in it for Alice and they were out there having a blast. Luther was behind her in the shade of the tree pushing her while she pumped her little legs to try and go higher. It made her so happy to see her family having so much fun. It'd been a few years since they'd escaped, back when Markus had led the revolution. He made it a better place for all androids in the states. No longer were they slaves to humanity, they were accepted as a new form of intelligent life. It would be safe to go back if they ever needed to, but they wouldn't for a long time. Not for at least another hundred or so years when they'd need new parts, and even then why would they stay for more than parts? Everything they loved was right here. She had her husband, her daughter and her friends. She snapped from her small trance as she heard the sizzle of water hitting the burner. While she'd been distracted her pot of water boiled over. Quickly she turned down the heat and moved the pot to another burner to cool for a moment. "What happened Kara?" She jumped a bit at the unexpected voice, although she really shouldn't have. With ten Jerry's running around the property it'd be strange if you didn't expect to see them everywhere.

"I was distracted and my water boiled over, it's no big deal." She moved the pot back onto the heated burner and poured in the spaghetti noodles this time. He came up behind her, looming in a curious way.

"Can I help?" She smiled, looking back to him.

"It's a little late since I have everything else done, but you can stir the noodles if you'd like." His face lit up like the sun as she handed him the spaghetti spoon. He took to stirring right away, having the time of his life.

"They're coming over today, aren't they?"

"Of course. They'll eat and then we'll all sit in the living room and talk, like a family."

"Ralph will enjoy that."

"I'm sure he will. Is he out in the greenhouse?"

"Yes, he's out there with a few of us right now. He wanted to show us how well his plants are growing."

"I'm sure they look lovely. You can stop stirring now, Jerry. Go ahead and set the spoon on the counter. Next we need to strain them, like this." She picked up the pot and dumped the noodles into a strainer, shaking them as Jerry watched in fascination. He was never programmed to cook, but just because you weren't programmed for something doesn't mean you can never do it. She dumped the strained noodles back into the pot and set it back onto the stove with a cover over it. She reached over the pot to turn the burner off and wiped her hands on a towel that hung on the oven door. They'd be arriving around six, and it was already five fifty. "Jerry, will you go get Ralph and the other Jerry's and tell them to wash up? Rose and Adam will be here soon."

"Sure thing Kara." He took off back into the house. Some of the Jerry's must be upstairs. She couldn't see why when it was such a nice day outside and she was going to go and enjoy it for a bit. She swung open the backdoor and stepped into the sunshine. Alice slowed the swing down with her feet before taking off and running to her as fast as she could go. She wrapped her small arms around her tightly.

"Did you have fun, Alice?" She smeared some dirt on the side of Alice's face as she smiled up at her.

"Yeah! Dad can make me swing really high, did you see me?!"

"I sure did! Why don't you head on inside and wash up, Rose and Adam are coming tonight and it wouldn't be nice to be dirty all night."

"Okay, Mom!" She ran past Kara and into the house, kicking off her shoes at the back step. Without a sound Luther had came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the back of her head gently and she smiled.

"Don't think you don't have to wash up too, you've been outside most of the day with her."

"I'll wash up in a minute, can't I just hold my wife?"

"You can, and you do every night." She turned her head up to see him with her smile still bright. He leaned down and kissed her lips before letting her go. She took his hand and they came inside. They washed their hands together as Ralph and the Jerry's came into the kitchen. They were clean, but dripping wet. "Did you guys get into the hose again?"

"Ralph and the Jerry's needed it, Kara, they did. Ralph can assure you." Ralph was very serious.

"Okay Ralph, I believe you. Just head on upstairs and get changed into something dry before the floor becomes a skating rink. We don't need anyone breaking their bio-components today." Giddily giggling they ran up the stairs as she shook her head. Those boys were always getting into some trouble, but it was the innocent kind. She thought it endearing. They'd all been through so much, they deserved that happiness. The doorbell rang and Alice went running for it.

"They're here boys, hurry up! And don't leave wet clothes on the floor, put it in the hamper or it'll ruin the carpet! Thank you!" She opened the door and was greeted with a big hug from Rose.

"It's so good to see Kara!" She moved out of their way so they could come inside. "Alice." She dropped and hugged Alice before getting up and coming over to "And you too Luther!" She hugged him too. As Adam came in he hugged them too, but it wasn't a full hug. It was a side hug, but it was still nice and appreciated. They hung up their jackets on some hooks by the door. They had to have a lot of hooks with the sheer amount of people living there. Ralph and the Jerry's came racing down the stairs, probably to see who could be the fastest. "There's the rest of them! How are some of my favorite boys doing today?"

"Ralph is doing great! He spent time with his plants today."

"We're okay too! We helped Ralph in the greenhouse today!"

"And I helped Kara with the noodles!" Rose smiled.

"That sounds so exciting boys! The food smells great."

"Yeah it does." Adam added before bending down to Alice. "I brought something for you." He handed her a little puzzle box. "Since it's one of those tech free nights I thought I'd be kinda fun to do a little puzzle together, so Mom got one specially made. We could get your weird uncles in on it too. What'd'ya say?" She nodded excitedly, hugging the box to her chest and hurrying over to Ralph and the Jerry's to tell them the exciting news.

As the evening was winding down the light of the fire was comforting. Kara sat on the sofa with Luther's arm over her. Rose sat beside her, a nice cup of hot cocoa in hand. They'd moved the coffee table and scooted the sofa back so there was room for everyone on the floor. There was no instructional picture to follow so the puzzle revealed itself slowly with each piece that was added. It took them only like an hour or so before the final picture was revealed. It was a picture they'd taken awhile ago. A little family portrait, with everyone included. They puzzle glued it together and hung it up over their mantle, it was a nice little reminder of family.

Sometimes a family is a protective robot mom, her gentle giant robot husband, her tiny robot daughter, their band of quirky and fun robot friends and a mother and her son who risked their lives to protect them.


End file.
